I imagine when a PowerBook/iBook is sleeping the USB/Firewire ports only supply enough energy to initiate the computer again.

i.e. plug in a printer/keyboard/press keyboard key/etc while computer is sleeping and it'll wake up again. There must be a small current just to see the device is there.

However, if the laptop is not plugged in then the computer wouldn't want to charge the iPod while sleeping cos it could eat your PB reserve battery.. which would switch the maschine off.

It'd be interesting to see if the charges from a PB/iBook while asleep, but itself plugged in charging (the iBook/PB). This would explain how the iPodds connected to PowerMacs and iMacs still charge while asleep.

If I plug in my iPod while my PB is on, and it starts to charge, and I put it to sleep, the iPod continues to charge. But if the PBis already asleep when I plug in the iPod, no charging takes place. Makes sense though.

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